At the End
by HighQueen
Summary: Armin sees it first. The forest of trees is thinning, and there's a bright light at the end, and he catches the glimmers of blue and gold streaming through. He turns around, his blue eyes sparkling. When he says it, his voice is a reverential whisper, and he is trembling with a barely contained excitement. "The sea..." [ErenMika, fluff, oneshot] Takes place at the very end.


_Disclaimer: I don't own 進撃の巨人_

_Author's Notes: Sooo to make up for that scandalous piece of LeviMikaEren threesome thing I published yesterday hee hee and to redeem myself, I wrote this completely non-smutty piece of sickeningly sweet ErenMika fluff._

_This takes place at the end, at the end of everything, once it's all resolved and everyone is finally safe. They take their first expedition or whatever outside the walls and this happens._

_I actually envisioned this entire thing at the gym when listening to the SnK soundtrack. I tried to write it along with the soundtrack, so maybe if you want, you can listen to it while reading this? It's the track titled 'Counter Attack'._

**_Just google 'Counter Attack Shingeki' and click on the first youtube link. And start playing it just before you start reading this. I know we all have different speeds of reading, so the track may not match up the way it does when I read, but it should work overall._**

**_You have to stop the track at around 3 minutes and 6-7 seconds though... because then the happy part ends and the scary parts starts. This is pretty short so I guess it wouldn't take more than that long to read it, but I read rather fast, so I don't know... hopefully it'll work!_**

**_EDIT: OMGGUYS. I am ridiculously happy. One of my beloved reviewers and friends MasterSprintersan has made a kind of story-amv-type video on youtube of this fic. It's basically the words of this story, with some pictures and music and sound effects and I think it's super cool. Check it out! I can't put the link, but go to youtube and search for 'HighQueen At the End' and you should find it. So kicked about this. _**

* * *

**At the End **

* * *

Armin sees it first.

The thick forest of trees is thinning, and there's a bright light at the end, and he catches the glimmers of blue and gold streaming through.

He turns around, his blue eyes sparkling.

"Eren! Mikasa! Guys!"

Everyone stops in their tracks, hearing the wonderment in his voice, the barely contained excitement.

And then he says it, whispering reverently, trembling all over.

"It's the sea…"

And then once they reach the edge of the forest, there is a collective intake of breath from them all.

Its there, more beautiful than they could have ever imagined. The images in the books, books that Mikasa and Eren had huddled over under the blankets after the grownups were fast asleep, books that Armin had snuck under his clothes to show them in the meadows – none of the books did it any justice.

Golden sand and shimmering, sparkling, endless water – so much water, they have never seen so much water before…

But more than anything, what makes it more magical, was the emptiness and the fact that there is not a single Titan in sight, no menacing shadows or disturbing smiles ripping through their peace.

They are free.

Armin looks excitedly at Eren and Mikasa, his grin stretching across his face.

And then he turns, and runs towards the water.

Eren's green eyes are wide, and his lips quirk upwards. A smile, the kind of smile he hadn't smiled in years.

He reaches down for Mikasa's hand, his fingers wrapping around hers.

"Come on," he tugs at her, and it is like the time when they were kids and he'd drag her off excitedly to see the Scouting Legion.

Mikasa's eyes well up, but she follows him, and they run, hand in hand, after Armin.

When they reach the edge of the water, where the waves lap against the sand, Armin hesitates. But Eren pulls on his sleeve, dragging him in with him and Mikasa.

The water is cool as it sloshes around their ankles, the waves coming nearly up till their knees.

And then Eren laughs.

Mikasa's eyes widen, because it was a sound she hasn't heard in so long, too long.

Armin is staring at him in awe as well, before his eyes meet Mikasa's and they both smile. Smile for their friend, who is finally allowed to have some happiness.

Eren wraps an arm around each of them then, and crushes them to him.

"We did it," he chokes out, and Mikasa realizes he is crying.

They all are, her and Armin as well, crying with relief, happiness, wonderment, awe…

They stand there for what seemed like an eternity, laughing, crying, hugging, until Eren pulls away first.

Armin leaves them then, to go to Sasha, Connie and Jean, who are still standing hesitatingly on the edge of the sand.

And then Mikasa's heart gives a leap as Eren's hand finds hers again.

They walk through the water, fingers entwined, shoulders brushing, not a word being spoken.

Mikasa is happy though, happier than she has ever been. She turns sideways, stealing a glance at Eren. He is smiling, _smiling, Eren is smiling, _and for once, he looks so peaceful.

He stops then, turning slightly till he faces her. Mikasa realizes that he is taller than her, maybe by a few centimeters. When did that happen?

He is a boy no longer though. He is a young man, a man with green eyes that sparkle with hope now, hope for a future that goes beyond killing Titans and endless despair.

Eren's hands are around her waist now, his grip firm and steady. His eyes never leave hers as he pulls her towards him. Mikasa's hands move up to his chest, and she feels the steady thump of his heartbeat under her fingers.

He rests his forehead against hers, and his eyes are full of such warmth then, as he gazes into hers.

Mikasa's heart flutters wildly; Eren has never looked at her this way before. His gaze usually holds such anger, such resentment.

But there is no trace of that now, and Mikasa takes in a deep breath, resolving herself.

It was now or never.

"Eren," she says breathlessly, "Eren, I've wanted to tell you this but I couldn't, but it's always been there, Eren I-"

"Mikasa," he says softly, bumping his nose against hers, and his hands slide up her sides, to her shoulders and then to her face.

He cups her face in his hands, his thumbs brushing across her cheekbones.

Mikasa's heart feels like it is going to burst out of her chest.

"I know," Eren says simply, and then he leans in and presses his lips against hers.

Mikasa's eyes flutter shut as she returns his kiss, burying her hands in his brown locks like she has always dreamed of.

Though it starts off with a sweet, tender hesitance, it soon grew passionate.

Eren's hands slide down to her lower back so that he can pull her closer to him. He nips at her bottom lip, and when Mikasa gasps, he takes the chance to slide his tongue into her mouth.

At that moment, Mikasa's life is perfect, more perfect than she could have ever imagined. Nothing matters then, except the water lapping against their shins, and Eren, his warmth, the touch of his hands and the feel of his soft lips as they move against her own.

A few meters away, Connie is gaping at them. Jean looks like he wanted to punch something, and Sasha is clapping her hands excitedly. Armin smiles though, his eyes glazing over as he looks upon his two best friends, now too entranced with one another to notice anyone or anything else.

Armin thinks that this is how it was always meant to be, and is glad that at last, it _can _be, _they _can be.

When Eren and Mikasa finally pull apart, both slight breathless, chests heaving, Mikasa cannot keep it inside herself any longer.

Eren is still looking at her, though he is blushing heavily now, and there is something shy in his gaze.

He twirls a strand of her hair around his finger. Her hair is longer now, well past her shoulders.

"Eren, I love you," Mikasa breathes out, rejoicing the way his face lights up at her words.

"I-" he begins, but his voice cracks, and he is unable to say it back.

But his eyes are glistening with tears again, and Mikasa can read his emotions in them.

Then Eren just pulls her to him instead, hugging her fiercely as he runs his fingers through her hair, trying to convey his emotions through his touch.

And then he kisses her again, amidst the setting sun and the splashing waves.

* * *

_Author's Notes: Ughh I need to see this kind of thing happen in the anime. This is completely cliched and has probably already been written but I needed to write my own take of it too._

_I hope the music-while-reading thing worked? Or if you prefer not to have music distracting you while you read that's perfectly fine too haha. _

_Ideally, the part of the track around 1:32 - 1:34 is supposed to be when 'Eren's hands are around her waist now, his grip firm and steady' and when Mikasa is about to confess but he stops her - all the buildup. And then 1.54-1.55 is when he kisses her. Or that's how it goes in my head. But since everyone reads at different speeds that is probably not how it went for you. Oh well!_

_Please review and let me know what you think! I am off to work on the newest chapter of Losing Control now._

_xx_

_HQ_


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